planet what an hour is in our globe. It is also to be remarked, that the position of the axis of the planets is inclined, like that of our earth; from whence it naturally follows, that, during their course round the sun, their northern side is sometimes more, sometimes less enlightened. Is it not therefore probable, that, in all the planets, the revolutions of seasons, and the alternate length and shortness of days, take place as on our earth? But, it may be asked, to what purpose all these reflections! They would be useful if they only served to increase our knowledge! But they will appear still more important to us, if we think of the consequences resulting from them. May we not conclude from these, that the other planets also are inhabited by living creatures? All the planets are like the earth. They are alike warmed and illuminated by the sun. They have their night and day, their winter and summer. what purpose would all this be, if those worlds were not inhabited? What an idea does not all this give us of the greatness of our Creator! How immense his dominion! How impossible to know all the wonders of his power and goodness! When we reflect on all these worlds, where his glory shews itself as much, and perhaps more, than on our globe, we must be struck with astonishment, and adore him with sentiments of the most profound veneration.

Το

MARCH

MARCH XXXI.

PATERNAL CARES OF PROVIDENCE FOR THE PRESERVATION OF OUR LIVES IN EVERY PART OF

THE WORLD.

WE know at present a great part of our globe; and new regions of it are still discovered from time to time. But no place has yet been found, where nature did not produce some of the necessaries of life. We know countries where the sun burns up almost every thing; where little is to be seen but mountains and sandy deserts; where the earth is almost entirely striped of the verdure with which it is so richly adorned in our climates. There are countries which are scarce ever cheered with the rays of the sun, and where its beneficent warmth is rarely felt; where an almost continual winter benumbs every thing; where there is neither culture, fruit, nor harvest. And yet there are men and animals there, who do not fail of subsistence. The productions denied them by Providence, because they would have been burnt by the sun, or frozen by the severe cold, are supplied by gifts more suitable to those climates, and on which men and animals can feed. The inhabitants seek with care what nature has in store for them. They know how to appropriate it to their own use: And they thus procure for themselves all they require for their subsistence and convenience of life. In Lapland, Providence has so contrived, that an evil, in some respects very inconvenient to the inhabitants, becomes a means of their preservation. They have an innumerable multitude of gnats, who, by their stings, are a plague to the Laplanders, and from which they cannot guard themselves,

themselves, but by keeping up in their cottages a continual thick smoke, and daubing their faces with pitch and tar. These insects lay their eggs on the water, and, by that means, draw a great number of aquatic birds, who feed on them, and being afterwards taken by the Laponese, become themselves the chief food of those people. The Greenlanders generally prefer animal food to the vegetable; and it is true there are very few vegetables in that barren country. There are however some plants in it, which the inhabitants make great use of; for example, sorrel, angelica, and particularly the spoon-herb, cochlearia. But their chief food is the fish which they call angmarset. After they have dried it in the open air upon the rocks, it serves them every day instead of bread or greens; and they preserve it for winter in great leather sacks. In Iceland, where there is no agriculture, owing to the severe cold, the people live on dried fish, instead of bread. The Dalecarlians, who inhabit the north of Sweden, having no wheat, make bread of the bark of birch and pine, and a certain root which grows in marshes. The inhabitants of Kamtschatka feed on the stalk or trunk of the bear's-foot plant, which they eat raw, after they have peeled it. In Siberia, they make much use of the roots of mountain-lily.

Adorable Father of all mankind! such are the tender mercies of thy providence for our preservation. With what goodness hast thou spread over the whole earth that which is requisite for our subsistence! Thy wisdom saw, before the foundation of the world, the dangers to which the lives of mortals would be exposed, and ordained that we should every where find sufficient food. Such a relation, connection, and communication was formed by thy decree, be

tween

tween the inhabitants of the earth, that people separated from one another by vast seas, labour, notwithstanding, for their mutual ease and sub

sistence.

Can we enough admire and revere the Divine Wisdom, which has given us bodies so formed as not to be confined to such or such particular food, but to be able to make use of every kind of nourishment! Thus, by a goodness which cannot be too highly praised, man does not live by bread alone, but by the word of God also; that is to say, on all that God ordains, on all things to which he has given the virtue of food and suste

SO improper an use is made of animals, and in so many ways, that it would be difficult to enumerate them. These abuses, however, may be confined to two chief points; that of too much, or too little value being set on them; and, in either case, we act contrary to the intention of the Creator. On one hand, we lower the brutes too much, when, under the pretence of being permitted the use of them by God, we assume an unlimited power over them, and think we have a right to treat them according to our caprice. But how can we prove that we have that right? And suppose even that we had, would it be just that our power should degenerate into cruelty and tyranny? All who are not corrupted by passions, or bad habits, are naturally inclined to compassion towards every being that has life and

VOL. I.

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feeling.

feeling. This disposition undoubtedly does honour to man, and is so deeply engraved on our minds, that any one, who had rooted it out, would prove to what a degree he was degraded and fallen from the dignity of his nature. He would have but

one step more to make (to refuse to man the compassion he does not grant to beasts), and he would then be a monster. Experience but too well justies this remark, and many examples of it may be recollected. History furnishes us with them. We see by it, that nations, where the people took pleasure in bull-baiting, distinguished themselves in cruelty towards their fellow-creatures. So true it is, that our treatment of beasts has an influence on our moral characters, and on the gentleness of our manners. It may be said, that we have a right to destroy hurtful animals.I confess it. But does it follow from thence, that we are authorised to take from them, without pity or regret, a life which is so dear to every creature: and that, when necessity forces us to it, we should find a barbarous pleasure in it, or think we have a right, in thus depriving them of life, to make them suffer torments, often more cruel than death itself? I grant that the Creator has given us the animals for our use and pleasure, and that they are designed, by their labour, to spare ours. But does it follow, that we must unnecessarily fatigue them, exhaust them with labour beyond their strength, refuse them sustenance merited by their services; in fine, aggravate their sufferings by severe treatment? But no more need to be said, in regard to this kind of abuse. Men fall sometimes into the other extreme, by setting too high a value on animals. Those of a social character, which are more connected with us, which live in ou houses, which amuse, or are useful to us, inspire us

often